This past summer, junior Natalie Hofer explored the business side of the healthcare industry with her internship at Zimmer Biomet, a medical technology company at the forefront of healthcare innovation. For Hofer, interning at Zimmer Biomet was an insightful opportunity to see how business impacts healthcare, and it gave her a new perspective on her future career options.
“I had found out about Zimmer Biomet through a family friend,” Hofer recalled, “but what really drew me to this company is the purpose and drive behind everyone who contributes to the larger company.”
The company looks to advance the medical field by focusing on technological innovation to improve current practices. They accomplish this by producing hip and knee implants, robotic surgical assistants, new surgical tools and more.
“My role was specifically on the marketing of these products,” Hofer said. “At the company, I got to work with and promote a diverse range of products on various marketing channels. I would be working daily on tasks like making social posts [on] LinkedIn and creating large detailed pitch decks for the sales force to use when selling a product to a surgeon.”
Beyond the projects themselves, the setting of Hofer’s internship presented itself as another new challenge, as she opted to travel and work in-person rather than working remotely.
“I was located in Warsaw, Indiana, the orthopedic capital of the world. I had only ever been in Indiana once before in my lifetime, as I am from outside of Philadelphia. I think working in an unfamiliar area, without knowing anyone else there prior to coming, increased my independence,” Hofer said.
Additionally, Hofer is a student athlete on the Colgate Women’s Swim and Dive team, which provides a rigid structure during the school year between athletic and academic obligations. She spoke on the transition to living on her own and having more autonomy over how she structured her time.
“I had to navigate creating a schedule that included work, sleep, keeping up with lifting for the upcoming swim season and more,” Hofer recalled. “Typically, my schedule is given to me either by the school, my coaches or even my parents, so this was a new challenge that I was able to eventually overcome.”
Another challenge Hofer encountered while spending the summer in Indiana was that while she was working in person, the rest of her team was remote.
“There were many people in the office and manufacturer, but most of the marketing team was out-of-state,” Hofer said. “This made it difficult because when I had a small question, I would have to set up a teams call instead of just popping my head in their office. I overcame this by using the other interns as a resource and creating lists with questions that I had to ensure more productive meetings.”
Overall, the in-person aspect proved to be a positive experience for Hofer by increasing her independence and allowing her to expand her horizons in other aspects.
“Along with my goal-driven training, outside of that I made several friends in unfamiliar Warsaw, whom I still keep in touch with!”
Working for Zimmer Biomet proved to be an incredibly rewarding endeavor for Hofer, as it provided her with hands-on experiences that extended beyond the realm of marketing and into the medical field itself.
“I was able to sit in on several live labs and surgeries,” Hofer recalled. “The first lab I went to was a cadaver lab, where I was able to see the Oxford partial knee implant product that I had been very familiar with on a computer setting actually being implanted into a deceased person. I was even able to touch the person to feel the anatomy of it. I even got to hold a meniscus straight out of someone’s knee. I am forever grateful for this experience that I only may get once in my lifetime.”
Beyond the opportunities given to her in the work environment, Hofer learned a number of valuable life lessons that led to personal growth as well.
“This summer I learned to try all the things, even if [I didn’t] exactly know how to do them. At Zimmer Biomet, I was doing so many different types of projects that at times it could feel overwhelming when I did not know how to take on a project or how the medical device I was promoting actually worked. Obviously as a rising junior, I did not by any means have all the answers, so I became confident in asking questions of my higher level peers. They all were more than happy to help and even expected me to ask them questions.”
Though graduation is still a couple years away for Hofer, this experience has guided her towards a clearer idea of what she may want to do upon graduating from Colgate University.
“I hope to pursue a career in business, but I am still unsure of what exactly I would like to do. I loved being involved in the medical field, as that was what I wanted to do coming into Colgate. I realized that the pre-med track was not for me, but I still have this love for the medical field, so I enjoyed my involvement in healthcare without being hands on. I hope to continue to work on the business side of the healthcare field in some form.”
Hofer’s summer internship at Zimmer Biomet provided her not only professional experience, but also facilitated personal growth. The lessons she learned, both in the workplace and beyond, will continue to guide her as she considers her future in the business side of healthcare.
